Time: 3:34 P.M.
Date: July 19, 2330 (25 years after Blitz team made S-class)
Location: West Peninsula, Planet Zi, Solar System 275, Milky Way sector 695
Event: Final Zoids Battle League Championship
19-year-old Tsui Craner charged across the battlefield in his specially modified Berserk Fury X-9, weapons blazing. His target was the Stegosaurus-like Gordos piloted by his friend, 18-year-old Gabe Sting.
Tsui's Zoid was a small Tyrannosaurus-like mechanical beast with two triangular drill-blades extended from the sides that, when opened up, contained .95-caliber machine guns. Gabe's Gordos was armed with two 45mm cannon placed at the top of the hip of each leg. It was a very even match- the Gordos was heavily armored and could withstand barrages from most projectile weapons, while the Berserk Fury was fast and lethal at any range and had a small energy shield.
This battle was very important to all involved because the Zoids Battle League had announced that the League would be disbanding and a new battle league would be formed with the Zoids in use being specialized, mass produced Ultra-class Zoids. The winner of this two-team battle-royal would be named Commissioner of the new league.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tsui saw the out-of-commission Zoids belonging to his and Gabe's teammates. There were the Elephanders of 17-year-olds Tobias King and Gad Craner, Tsui's younger brother. To his left, were the Blade Liger belonging to Gabe's 16-year-old brother Matt, and the Pegasus Zoids belonging to Tsui's sister, 18-year-old Tal- a teammate of Gabe's- and Gabe's sister, Becky- also 18 years old.
Quickly, Tsui returned his focus to Gabe, but his threat detector suddenly jumped to life as it picked up Tsui's only teammate still standing, 19-year-old A.J. King, who also piloted a Berserk Fury X-9. Tsui and A.J. had worked out a plan before the match: if they were the last of their team, they would work together to eliminate any opposing Zoids and then face each other- after all, they were the best on the field.
As one, the two friends and teammates charged towards Gabe, finally splitting to attack Gabe at his sides- his most vulnerable spot. With drill-blades in closed position, they struck. They easily annihilated Gabe's weapons, and then drilled into the Zoid's hide and legs- rendering the Zoid useless.
Finally, the two friends turned towards each other. With energy shields activated, neither one could use their machine guns, so they began attacking each other's shields with their drill blades. A.J. had had to use his shields earlier in the fight, so his were weaker than Tsui's. Eventually, Tsui managed to overpower his opponent's shield seconds before his own failed- all the time he needed.
Tsui swung his blades at A.J.'s cockpit, just as his own shields failed. As A.J. had one blade still in motion so they connected with each other's cockpits simultaneously. Tsui's cockpit took serious damage but, due to the fact that he struck with both blades, he incapacitated A.J.'s Zoid.
A horn sounded from a cylindrical object in the center of the battlefield. The robot battlefield judge shouted out, "The winner of the Battle Royal and the title Ultra Zoid Battle League Commissioner is… Tsui Craner!"
The pilots of the Zoids exited their Zoids- at least most of them did. After a few minutes, Tsui hauled himself out of his Zoid, holding his right arm and grimacing in extreme pain- his arm had been shattered by the blow to his cockpit. A.J. was unable to get out of his cockpit, as both his legs had been demolished.
The two would be fitted with high-tech servo-prosthetics that practically mimicked every ability that the real limbs had been capable of. But the two men would never be able to fight at full capacity again.
For eleven years, they would run the Ultra Zoid Battle League (UZBL)- Tsui as Commissioner, and A.J. as Assistant Commissioner and owner of the League's premier Zoid refit garage.
Around March 2331, a group of renegade Zoid warriors, living the ways of the long-disbanded Backdraft group to new extremes, began preying on the Ultra Zoids teams- taking the Zoids of their victims. Three years later, a guard corps was drafted into service to patrol the Ultra Zoid battlefields to keep out the illegal warriors known as the Backstrike.
Still, the Backstrike attacks continued, mostly on the Guard Posts, for seven more years.